The present invention relates to an automatic performance apparatus which performs an automatic performance based on musical data recorded in an event style and, more particularly, to an automatic performance apparatus having a search processing function for making editing work or the like easy.
An electronic musical instrument with an automatic performance section for recording in an event style music performed thereby and for reproducing it is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,459 (patented on May 11, 1976).
In an automatic performance apparatus of this type, key event data is recorded in order of occurrence of key depression and key release. Key event data is compiled by recording key depressions and key releases, identifying which key was depressed or released and the relative time sequence of these events. The musical performance is reproduced by reading-out the recorded event data in the order it was recorded. On/off-event data are read-out from the memory in the relative time sequence indicated by recorded time data. Musical tones are reproduced by reading out on/off-event data.
In such automatic performance apparatus recording in event style, it is important that it allow editing of the recorded key event data stored in the memory such as insertion, correction and deletion of said data. In order to edit the performance data or restart performance from a specific part of a musical piece, the desired part must be accurately searched at high speed.
However, while in the conventional apparatus described above, the tempo of a musical piece can be slightly changed upon adjustment of a tempo volume control which controls the frequency of a tempo clock signal for measuring the relative time, this apparatus cannot reproduce the recorded data at a speed suitable for searching. Nor can, the prior art apparatus search in a reverse order, because it is impossible to reproduce a musical performance in reverse of the order the data was encoded into the memory.